Filenews 14 October 2025 - by Angelos Nikolaou
Significant progress was made at yesterday's meeting held at the initiative of the Department of Agriculture, in the context of the effort to implement the legislation on unfair commercial practices in the supply chain of agricultural products and food. The central issue was the proper use of reusable transport and packaging boxes, with the political leadership and all stakeholders consenting to a series of decisions with immediate and medium-term horizon.
Among the most decisive decisions, the immediate return of the boxes to their legal owners stands out, an action that is considered the first step towards compliance with the provisions of the relevant legislation. This decision marks the beginning of a more transparent and fair management of logistical equipment in the field of agricultural distribution.
At the same time, the Department of Agriculture will proceed with the preparation of a manual for the proper implementation of the legislation, with the aim of uniformly understanding and applying the provisions from all links in the supply chain.
In addition, it was decided to set up a Working Group chaired by the Director General of the General Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development, which will include representatives from key bodies of the private and public sector, such as the Associations of Supermarkets, Merchants and Importers, the CCCI, the OEB, agricultural organizations, producer groups and the Department of Agriculture itself.
This Working Group has four months to study best practices, evaluate the suggestions already submitted and formulate concrete proposals for the correct and effective implementation of the legislation.
